Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-12-29
HER0D AND JOHN.
FIRST LESSON OF THE INTERNA-
TlONAL S. S. SERIES, JAN. 1, 1883.

d. D.-Text of Lesson, Matt. xiv, 1-12.
Golden Text, Matt. xiv, I2-1Iemorize
Verses $40.
From Lesson Helper Quarterly, by permission
of H. S. Hoffman, Philadelphia, publisher.l
Notes-At that time, l. e., of the preced-
ing chapter Herod the Tetrarch, or Herod
Antipas, son of Herod the Great; Tetrarch
in strictness of meaning, is the ruler Of the
fourth part of a kingdom, but sometimes, as
here, the third part, or Galilee and Perea.
Fame, or reports about his mighty works.
His servants, or the officers Of his court.
Herodias, granddaughter Of Herod the Great.
Charger, large dish or platter. The
damsel, or young woman, came, j. e, to the
prison where John had been confined. Told
Jesus, i. c., of the death of John.
V. 1. These words seem to intimate that
Herod had just then heard Of the great
works Of Jesus. 1t seems that now, at last,
the officers of his court had just begun to
talk about him, and wonder who he could
be. Now, as Jesus had been going about
doing his great works and speaking his Won
derful words for about eighteen months, this
ignorance on the part of Herod and his great
men shows very clearly at how great dis
tance they were living from all high and
holy influences.
'. 2. Clearly his courtiers were discussing
Jesus, and Herod undertook to erlighten them
about Him. This great teacher, with whose
fame the land was now ringing, was not
Jesus at all It was John the Baptist. whom
he had beheaded, who was risen from the
dead, and who therefore had power to do
At I
Herod shows:
The power of a guilty conscience; and the
wide spread belief in the resurrection; and
His conscience would not let him rest He
knew that he wasa murderer. He knew that
John was an upright and holy man, and that
truth and right were on his side. Yet he
knew that to please an adulterous woman he
had shamefully put him to death. Is it a
wonder he could not rest! II such man as
Herod could hold the doctrine Of the resu7'-
rection, its place in the popular mind must
have been well assured. At last 1t must
have been widely discussed, Gs indeed the
mere existence of the Sadducees, who denied
the doctrine, proves it to have been.
v 3-5 Here lies the secret Of Herod's
great disquiet. And the links in the chain
of events are these: Herod had repudiated
his own lawful wife and was living in adult
cry with the wife Of his brother Philip. John
had feariessly rebuked him for his great sin,
and, of course, had incurred the bitter er-
nifty of Herodias. From that day ne was q
doomed man, and nothing but fear Of the
people restrained Harod from putting him to
death
What could John do? Just what he did.
He must be ''clear in his great Office" and
rebuke the offender. Publicly rebuke him.
The sin was before the people and so must
its condemnation be. At all hazards he must
be true to his Lords words. And 50 must
the minister of Jesus now. He must not only
''exhort," but he must 'reprove and rebuke,1
and that too with all authority"
And how ready was Herods response. ''He
would have killed John" No thought Of
breaking off his sin by Righteousness or his
transgression by turning to the Lord. John
was the transgressor here. And 50 the burn
ing and shining light in Israel must be put
out and the greatest of the prophets Of the
Lord borne to bloody death in order that
an adulterous woman might be gratifed in
her revenge.
Yet all through John Eas stronger than he
thought. Herod feared John. He knew he
was prophet, and the sanctfties of a spot
less character shut him in on every side.
V.6,7. The birthday" here, probably
means the anniversary of his accession to
power 1t was usual for kings to observe
this day with great pOmp-as HerOd doubt
less did on this occasion. This daughter Of
Eerodias' was Salone, her daughter by her
first husband. She must have partaken Of
her mothers character, for no modest female
would have made such an exhibition Of her
self before such an assembly. Knowing him
as she did, was this all planned by HerOdias,
to bring about her long plotted revenge on
John! Infamed by wine, by music, by the
brilliant surroundings of the feast and the
dancing girl, the king bound himself with an
oath TO give her whatsdEEfr she desired
Mark adds, ''even to the half Of his king
dom"
'. $40 Here was the opportunity de
sired And it was well improved, tCo; for,
instructed by her mother, she demanded
''tie head OF John the Baptist" What q re
quest for a young girl TO mako. What s.
tanic hate must have ranked IN the heart
that prompted it. What aptitude in hateful
things in the lips that uttered it. No doubt
Herod was beyond measure surprised. Even
he had not expected it. But in the madness
OF his folly he had bound himself by an oath
which he thought he could not break, and
the presence OF those invited guests forbade
him to do even if he could. And SO the COM
mand was given; John was beheaded and his
head presented to the damsal, who in turn
presented it to her mother The whole ghaSt-
ly business is done, and John lies headleSs in
the prison.
V. Il. The news was not long in spreading.
His disciples heard Of it, and with reverent
and ;ffectionate sorrow took up his body and
buried it, and ''went and told Jesus. Now,
there is something very beautiful il this
Their former jealousy of Jesus, for Johns
sake, seems to have died away; and they told
him of the danger that might reach even to
him. OF course they knew not the secret tie
that bound them together. They knew not
that as it Jared with John SO it would with
him. whose coming John heralded. They
knew not that Johns bloody death in his
prison was but the index finger pointing TO
Jesus on the cross. Still they went and toll
him
GENERAL LESSONS
l. The power of a guilty conScience.-ls
this foretaste Of future reGibutions Her0d
oo.,Il nor ,-,+ oy-oy- from the TyraSnv1e of